Good questions to ask. The team and coaches, on the field this fall, will be the only ones that can really answer them.

Just my speculative opinion, and more for fun than anything, but here's what I could see happening.

1. Hicks will start and continue to start until he gets hurt or has repeated failures. I think there is a +70% chance Starkel will be the starter by the 5th or 6 game. If Hicks remains the starter after that time, it will mean good things are happening.

2. I think having a QB that truly knows the system, (quicker release, quicker reads, more organization) will help the Oline play. Depth is a concern, as fatigue can lead to injuries. A lot was said about Oline play from last year, but having better QB play can make the Oline look better. Hoping for improvement from both the QB and line this year.

3. I agree with you on the secondary. Dline needs to pressure the QB and make tackles, also LBs need to make plays. If the other teams QB has all day, its hard for the secondary to preform well. We are young there and the Dline and LBs need to step up. The coaches should see this and adjust to take pressure off the secondary.

4. LB depth, seems we have depth issues on both sides of the ball. This team is now paying the price for the last 2 BB years. Quality depth is needed in all areas. I have felt for a long time poor depth has lead to the starters playing more than they should. Resulting in injuries and fatigue in the second half of games. The coaches need to focus on getting players ready to play. Being able to provide quality depth will go a long way on how this season plays out. We have to be able to finish games.

5. It sure seems like WRs should improve this year. On paper we should have been at least decent there last year. I have heard a lot of reasons why we weren't, like not buying in, things like that. And that was at least some of it, I'm sure. To me it looked like they didn't know what they were doing early. Then later on just gave up even trying.

The bottom line for this year, is the team needs to improve in all areas. Sometimes, its not big things that need improved on, but just a lot of the small things. If the players attitudes are now right. If the coaches can coach these players and develop them, I think we get better. To me 6 wins for this year, would be a good sign things are headed in the right direction. Another 2 or 3 win year, maybe not.

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All BIG questions going into this season. . . I am excited to finally see some new faces on offense, especially at QB and WR. The 5 and 6 year seniors from the Bielema era long outplayed their shelf life IMO.

My biggest concerns are with QB and O-Line. I expect our O-Line to be bad. Improved from last year, but still bad. As for the QB I just hope we can find a serviceable, SEC-quality player. I'm feeling nostalgic about my undergrad days with R. Mallett and T. Willy in the pocket. Great times! Feels like ancient history at this point.

Our defense usually isn't great by any measure so I don't expect much to change there. We need another Jake Bequette, Trey Flowers, or Martrell Spaight type player to really make a difference on that side of the ball.

The assessment of Hicks/Starkel/Jefferson is alright with me as we've upgraded the position greatly,from any angle you see.The Oline issue will improve greatly as this group will have purged some bad attitudes and injury riddled problems. I also believe Morris will help them more with his play calling. I see quick passes to Burks/Knox taking pressure off the line. Our coach will get better also.Secondary questions are scary as I have no answers except that maybe Chief will earn another raise and impress us. LB depth. Never had it prolly never will. Once again CHIEF save us. We have recruited well enuff last year to get lots of help on the line which can't help but help the LB play.WR and receiver corp in general is the reason we'll greatly improve our W/L total. Once again purged bad attitudes and improved speed will prevail. Once again our coach has to improve and get us an identity. I hope its this; Our quick/short passing game takes and frees the box so we'll have a great running game and our OL will gain its confidence from success. Keeping our offense on the field will greatly improve the D numbers. Which believe it or not did improve greatly last year. We went from 117th defensively to 67th I believe. Get us in the 30s and we'll go 7-5 or 8-4. Get us in the upper 40's and we'll go 6-6.

Question #6: Will this coaching staff be able to coach these kids up and be competitive in their 2nd year in the SEC. Tough place to cut your teeth for a coach(s) in the best conference/division in CFB. I remain optimistic.

Question #6: Will this coaching staff be able to coach these kids up and be competitive in their 2nd year in the SEC. Tough place to cut your teeth for a coach(s) in the best conference/division in CFB. I remain optimistic.

I have an addendum to question 1. Will the QB who emerges as our starter have the talent and leadership abilities to lead our team to success?

I think he will have a better OL and better WRs (of course we do know how much better) but will the QB throw to the right guy or call the right play or blocking scheme or run when it is his best option?? IOW is he talented enough to lead our team to 6 or more wins. Allot will be determined by not only the right QB emerging but his decisions and abilities to accomplish what he trying to do..

The assessment of Hicks/Starkel/Jefferson is alright with me as we've upgraded the position greatly,from any angle you see.The Oline issue will improve greatly as this group will have purged some bad attitudes and injury riddled problems. I also believe Morris will help them more with his play calling. I see quick passes to Burks/Knox taking pressure off the line. Our coach will get better also.Secondary questions are scary as I have no answers except that maybe Chief will earn another raise and impress us. LB depth. Never had it prolly never will. Once again CHIEF save us. We have recruited well enuff last year to get lots of help on the line which can't help but help the LB play.WR and receiver corp in general is the reason we'll greatly improve our W/L total. Once again purged bad attitudes and improved speed will prevail. Once again our coach has to improve and get us an identity. I hope its this; Our quick/short passing game takes and frees the box so we'll have a great running game and our OL will gain its confidence from success. Keeping our offense on the field will greatly improve the D numbers. Which believe it or not did improve greatly last year. We went from 117th defensively to 67th I believe. Get us in the 30s and we'll go 7-5 or 8-4. Get us in the upper 40's and we'll go 6-6.

the Hogs Offensive Line will be Improved by having a QB who knows the whole offense, Forcing the defense to cover the whole field and not stack and attack. The O-line had some good games but were over matched by a defense knowing what we were going to run, Our offense was to limited and defenses knew it . All they had to do was close down the 20 yards from the LOS , we had no deep ball threat . If they have to cover deep speed , It forces them to spread out more and leaves holes on the field and across the middle

The assessment of Hicks/Starkel/Jefferson is alright with me as we've upgraded the position greatly,from any angle you see.The Oline issue will improve greatly as this group will have purged some bad attitudes and injury riddled problems. I also believe Morris will help them more with his play calling. I see quick passes to Burks/Knox taking pressure off the line. Our coach will get better also.Secondary questions are scary as I have no answers except that maybe Chief will earn another raise and impress us. LB depth. Never had it prolly never will. Once again CHIEF save us. We have recruited well enuff last year to get lots of help on the line which can't help but help the LB play.WR and receiver corp in general is the reason we'll greatly improve our W/L total. Once again purged bad attitudes and improved speed will prevail. Once again our coach has to improve and get us an identity. I hope its this; Our quick/short passing game takes and frees the box so we'll have a great running game and our OL will gain its confidence from success. Keeping our offense on the field will greatly improve the D numbers. Which believe it or not did improve greatly last year. We went from 117th defensively to 67th I believe. Get us in the 30s and we'll go 7-5 or 8-4. Get us in the upper 40's and we'll go 6-6.

Some pundits have said the Hogs starting D Line is one of the better ones in the SEC so I feel good about them. The starting LBs are pretty solid as well but the Defensive secondary is a bit iffy.

Some pundits have said the Hogs starting D Line is one of the better ones in the SEC so I feel good about them. The starting LBs are pretty solid as well but the Defensive secondary is a bit iffy.

The hated Texas teams of old all had one thing in common. The defensive down 3 or 4 were incredible and never got tired as the relief was high quality. Heck I saw Earl Campbell play defensive end with my own eyes. When the QB is running for his life or getting pummeled every few plays it helps the secondary muches and adds to those turnover stats. I'm not talking about the Alabama type pummeling either, at home they hit late and are coached to do so. Ask Tyler Wilson. It was criminal what they did to him down there one fine Saturday afternoon.

Question #6: Will this coaching staff be able to coach these kids up and be competitive in their 2nd year in the SEC. Tough place to cut your teeth for a coach(s) in the best conference/division in CFB. I remain optimistic.

I want to believe.Recruiting is great!!But coaching last made me skeptical.I am hopeful that what appeared to be poor decision making in QB selection and playcalling was just being determined to lay a foundation of something. But at this point I remain skeptical.

OK, between this and the radio guys and I'm raising a cool-aid cup but I'm only taking a sip. We lost three close but winnable games, due to lack of effort and injuries. More depth will help cure lack of effort, and reduce the impact of injuries. So I'm thinking 5 wins should be expected and if the ball bounces our way maybe a bowl game. If we blow a game where we're favored could create a flaming wreck of a season.

1. The soundness of its offense, defense and special teams systems + how well they are taught.2. Adequacy of depth + courage to prepare for the loss of key players.3. The ability of the head coach to stage the season effectively and build momentum/confidence. Might be a house of cards, but you gotta build a house.4. The ability of the coaching staff to sell a realistic plan and stick to it week by week, not end up at midseason with the plan having collapsed.5. Good, specific preparation for each opponent + each situation.

Last season was a failure on all five fronts. Why? The answer to that question might give reason why we should expect improvement in 2019. Or not.

OK, between this and the radio guys and I'm raising a cool-aid cup but I'm only taking a sip. We lost three close but winnable games, due to lack of effort and injuries. More depth will help cure lack of effort, and reduce the impact of injuries. So I'm thinking 5 wins should be expected and if the ball bounces our way maybe a bowl game. If we blow a game where we're favored could create a flaming wreck of a season.

That's reality in a nutshell. We will know where our season is headed the week before A&M.

1. Ben Hicks knows what coach Morris wants to do and will more than likely be the starter against PState. No one can really tell how fast Nick Starkel learns the formations and terminology and is able to show the coaches that he can execute the offense efficiently. I have heard some pundits who think it will be in fall camp. KJ Jefferson is a mobile guy with an above average arm. Don't count him out as a passer. He'll get a good look with the 4 game rule. JS Jones could be fourth on the list if it gets that far.

2. The way the season schedule is set up will be advantageous to the progress of our offensive line IMO. Starting with practically a scrimmage, then having our best chance at an SEC win, then two more chances to get better and build depth before the real grind begins. As mentioned, the players are more familiar with Fry's system, Arkansas guys like Capps and Clary, Jackson and Gatlin, Adcock and Vest. I think it will mean a little more to them in a close game.

3. I feel better about our cornerbacks than our safeties, especially if Tutt can stay healthy for a full season and Devin Bush can build on his spring performance. Bishop and Brooks need to take the next step. Mason and maybe Catalon could spell Curl and Foucha at times, or Chief could go with the more experienced but less talented Micahh Smith and/or D'vone McClure, who seems to always end up playing more nickel than linebacker.

4. Linebacker will be serviceable if we stay healthy. No one questions our lack of depth. Lots of last minute bad recruiting news. Seems to be a very snakebit position. I feel really good about Harris. He's a defensive leader we need. Pool needs to realize that it's time. Henry and Morgan bring more Arkansas grit, and they're talented and fundamentally sound. Parker could blow up. Zimos, LaFrance, and Edwards can get some reps in the noncons.

5. Our WR corps is the reason I think we'll manage six wins and get those all important bowl practices. We have talent and depth across the board. Knox and Burks have star potential. Nash, TQ Jackson, and Warren have speed to stretch the field. Woods, Jones, and Stewart have been there, and if K Jack could shake the injury bug he'd be in the mix. Add the tight ends and there's a lot of arrows in the sling.. Not to mention our deep, talented, and experienced RBs. I'm optimistic and ready to get started.

Good questions to ask. The team and coaches, on the field this fall, will be the only ones that can really answer them.

Just my speculative opinion, and more for fun than anything, but here's what I could see happening.

1. Hicks will start and continue to start until he gets hurt or has repeated failures. I think there is a +70% chance Starkel will be the starter by the 5th or 6 game. If Hicks remains the starter after that time, it will mean good things are happening.

2. I think having a QB that truly knows the system, (quicker release, quicker reads, more organization) will help the Oline play. Depth is a concern, as fatigue can lead to injuries. A lot was said about Oline play from last year, but having better QB play can make the Oline look better. Hoping for improvement from both the QB and line this year.

3. I agree with you on the secondary. Dline needs to pressure the QB and make tackles, also LBs need to make plays. If the other teams QB has all day, its hard for the secondary to preform well. We are young there and the Dline and LBs need to step up. The coaches should see this and adjust to take pressure off the secondary.

4. LB depth, seems we have depth issues on both sides of the ball. This team is now paying the price for the last 2 BB years. Quality depth is needed in all areas. I have felt for a long time poor depth has lead to the starters playing more than they should. Resulting in injuries and fatigue in the second half of games. The coaches need to focus on getting players ready to play. Being able to provide quality depth will go a long way on how this season plays out. We have to be able to finish games.

5. It sure seems like WRs should improve this year. On paper we should have been at least decent there last year. I have heard a lot of reasons why we weren't, like not buying in, things like that. And that was at least some of it, I'm sure. To me it looked like they didn't know what they were doing early. Then later on just gave up even trying.

The bottom line for this year, is the team needs to improve in all areas. Sometimes, its not big things that need improved on, but just a lot of the small things. If the players attitudes are now right. If the coaches can coach these players and develop them, I think we get better. To me 6 wins for this year, would be a good sign things are headed in the right direction. Another 2 or 3 win year, maybe not.[good post

Good questions to ask. The team and coaches, on the field this fall, will be the only ones that can really answer them.

Just my speculative opinion, and more for fun than anything, but here's what I could see happening.

1. Hicks will start and continue to start until he gets hurt or has repeated failures. I think there is a +70% chance Starkel will be the starter by the 5th or 6 game. If Hicks remains the starter after that time, it will mean good things are happening.

2. I think having a QB that truly knows the system, (quicker release, quicker reads, more organization) will help the Oline play. Depth is a concern, as fatigue can lead to injuries. A lot was said about Oline play from last year, but having better QB play can make the Oline look better. Hoping for improvement from both the QB and line this year.

3. I agree with you on the secondary. Dline needs to pressure the QB and make tackles, also LBs need to make plays. If the other teams QB has all day, its hard for the secondary to preform well. We are young there and the Dline and LBs need to step up. The coaches should see this and adjust to take pressure off the secondary.

4. LB depth, seems we have depth issues on both sides of the ball. This team is now paying the price for the last 2 BB years. Quality depth is needed in all areas. I have felt for a long time poor depth has lead to the starters playing more than they should. Resulting in injuries and fatigue in the second half of games. The coaches need to focus on getting players ready to play. Being able to provide quality depth will go a long way on how this season plays out. We have to be able to finish games.

5. It sure seems like WRs should improve this year. On paper we should have been at least decent there last year. I have heard a lot of reasons why we weren't, like not buying in, things like that. And that was at least some of it, I'm sure. To me it looked like they didn't know what they were doing early. Then later on just gave up even trying.

The bottom line for this year, is the team needs to improve in all areas. Sometimes, its not big things that need improved on, but just a lot of the small things. If the players attitudes are now right. If the coaches can coach these players and develop them, I think we get better. To me 6 wins for this year, would be a good sign things are headed in the right direction. Another 2 or 3 win year, maybe not.[good post

Did you see the line-play last season? Unless it's significantly better this year it won't matter how fast any qb can get rid of the ball.

I'm not going to say the OL was stellar or that they didn't struggle but if the QB is holding the ball too long either because the WR's aren't getting seperation or are running the wrong route or because the QB is taking too long to go thru their progressions then you can't blame that on the OL.

I'm not going to say the OL was stellar or that they didn't struggle but if the QB is holding the ball too long either because the WR's aren't getting seperation or are running the wrong route or because the QB is taking too long to go thru their progressions then you can't blame that on the OL.

I'm not going to say the OL was stellar or that they didn't struggle but if the QB is holding the ball too long either because the WR's aren't getting seperation or are running the wrong route or because the QB is taking too long to go thru their progressions then you can't blame that on the OL.

I'm not going to say the OL was stellar or that they didn't struggle but if the QB is holding the ball too long either because the WR's aren't getting seperation or are running the wrong route or because the QB is taking too long to go thru their progressions then you can't blame that on the OL.

Year 2 of Petrino the lights went on for the recievers reading the D which is everything in these offenses. Year 3 they were smooth as silk,QB play was there so our record got muches better. Just happened to be in the SEC west when LSU,Bama, Auburn all were top notch. Heck I think Bama lost like 1 game maybe 2 in 3 years Scam Newton and Aubbie were there 1 year LSU played for the title......We didn't go all the way cause we were a D coordinator away. We were still way up there in rankings and respect. We are doing near that now.The recievers will get it this year and explode next year. We may be a little ahead of the game at defense as we have an outstanding staff and as good a recruiting process going as I've ever seen us have. I know its all conjecture at this point and I get real homerish this time of year......

QB will get rid of the ball quicker if our WRs will get open. This will help our OL and running game if we bump up our passing game. Let's hope 2+ WRs steps up. We need guys who can use their size and/or athletic ability to get open more quickly.